The Sandstorm
by Minagi Ito
Summary: Mikoto/Mai in a story that was my dream.


**The Sandstorm**

The raging battle between two nations, leading one was a powerful warrior well verse in both sorcery and combat, while the other a young princess and maiden wielding the power of pyro-magic. The battle waged on, turning the flourishing land into burning desert, Mother Nature cried out in agony from the scorching heat of the princess and the earthen spikes from the warrior. To sooth her pain, she conjured up a massive _sandstorm _that killed everyone in its path, sucking the warrior and the princess up into the funnel of the storm, trapping them in a world that's inside of an hourglass.

"Garahhhh…" Minagi Mikoto shouted as she leaped into the air and drawn her onyx claymore from her back, aiming to strike down at the gigantic sandworm that's about to strike a helpless maiden. Tighten her grip on her sword, the sword transformed as spikes shooting out from both sides of the blade (like a chainsaw). Cutting it down, as dark statics escaped from her sword onto the worm killing it completely, burning it to nothing but only its razor sharp teeth remain. Staring at the giant set of dental, Mikoto removed her helmet and armor, leaving her with nothing but rough fabrics that was her clothes.

"Why… why did you save me for?" Tokiha Mai asked panting, trying to get on her feet. "Look around us; we are surrounded by white walls and endless desert. Why kill each other when we should try to find a way out?" Mikoto said sheathing away her sword. "My name is Minagi Mikoto, a commoner drafted and fought in the war as a mere soldier," Mikoto introduced herself. "I'm amazed how you could lie without blinking," the other one snorted. "I lead the army because you killed my commander," Mikoto said turning around to face the princess. "My name is Tokiha Mai, the daughter of King Tokiha Shinji and High Priestess Iida Suki." Mai introduced herself with a sigh.

Together they traveled for miles, searching for a water spring or a shade at least. They kept on walking until the sun set, once the sun set the air cooled down immediately. Tired, they sat down with their back against each other resting and praying for a way out, but as time ticking by the evening became colder and colder. It had gotten so cold that even in her armors; Mai was still shivering and started to shake like a leave from the freezing air. Until a strong arm draped over her shoulder and pulled her into a hug, the sword become Mikoto's pillow just as she became Mai's pillow as she used the cape as the cover for them from the night's dew.

Rays of light burns through their eyelids, the sound of birds chirping put Mikoto on alert as her golden eyes popped open. The sky above was clear and blue; she realized that they're under the tree's shade and the sand that was under her now mossy green grass. In a single night, the landscape changed from sandy desert into luscious tropical jungle. The young princess in her arms was still soundly asleep, Mikoto slowly worked her way to removed herself from the princess, leaving her sword behind she explored the jungle. By the time Mai woke up, the sun was already over her head (noon) and the surrounding was so green that it confused her.

XxX

"I wouldn't mind living here but I'm sure you want to go back home," Mikoto said over dinner. "You're kidding, right?" Mai asked staring at the other girl. "No, it's my dream to have a small house living the quiet life, maybe a little land to grow some vegetables and fruits." Mikoto said with a faint smile on her lips. "How old are you? You sounded like some old man," Mai said leaning against the table. "Sixteen," Mikoto replied shoving rice into her mouth. "I'm ten years your senior," Mai grinned. "I think you look very lovely," Mikoto said after swallowing her mouthful of foods. "Are you trying to woo me?" Mai asked looking amused. "I can take you by force if I wanted to, so there's no need for wooing." Mikoto said bluntly.

They had found a small abandoned home in the midst of the jungle, with tools in there and all the things required living here peacefully. The two settled into a routine of searching for a way out during the morning hours and prepare meals and hunts for foods in the late afternoon. Mikoto left her sword by the door, as she usually used the axe to chop the woods and a sharpen stick to hunt the fishes at a nearby lake. They had been there for no more than a month, and the two had become quite good friends despite the age gap between them. Mai found herself to be increasingly drawn to the young warrior, evident was that whenever she woke up before the teen, she found herself sleeping on top of the teen as they shared the bed (because there's only one bed in the house).

"So beautiful," Mikoto murmured looking up at the pale moon in the sparkly night sky. Sitting on the stool she enjoyed the silent of the night, Mikoto was expecting Mai to be already in bed as she usually is. "Please don't let her fall in love with me, and open up a path for her to return home. For I, am willing to remain here forever," Mikoto said to the night sky. "I wanted nothing more than to have a small piece of land, a small house to live in. A small farm, away from the capital and their political nonsense, it is all I ever wanted." Mikoto continued unbeknownst that Mai was awake and was eavesdropping.

_You're willing to give up your way of life just for her sake? _The wind spoke to her, and she said nothing but nodded her head. _Then I shall take your power, the origin of who you are… _it hissed. _Forever a mortal, who will never be able to use magic ever again… _Mikoto said nothing again but only nodded her head; she's willing to give up her power if it meant that they will be free from this prison of _eternal peace_. Unlike most of the population of the world, Minagi Mikoto wanted to search and find her own little land where she could claim as her own and live her days in peace.

xXx

"Oh no, it's turning into sand again…" Mai exclaimed as the scenery before them changed from luscious jungle to sandy desert. "I guess this is good bye," Mikoto said leaning in, giving Mai a light kiss on the lips. "Good bye Mai," Mikoto said with a sad smile as she turned and walk away. Before Mai got a chance to react, the winds picked up into a sandstorm and suck her in dropping her back into reality where her troops are winning the battle. She stood there in the battlefield, armors soaked in blood as her troops cheered of the victory. Far away, the faint silhouette of Mikoto could be seen picking up something insignificant from the ground, with her sword strapped on her back she continued walking on.

The small hourglass, in her hand Mikoto looked at it and a smile formed on her lips as she crushed it in her hand. For the first time since the day she was born, Minagi Mikoto felt pain shooting from the palm of her hand up to her brain. She is now a human, but undeniably the blood that's coursing in her vein is still nonhuman even without her power. The massive sword on her back was evident that she hasn't been completely stripped of her demi origin.

"Well done my daughter," King Tokiha Shinji said to Mai, who kneel before him. They had won the war and taking over the other nation, they are a peaceful country but they will defend their country and take over the country that wage war with them. That is how their nation had grown to be so big, taking up nearly the entire continent. Mai took part in many of those battles, while her little brother learned the art of war from the nation's best tactician.

And for the first time since her first taste of victory, Mai felt no joy of victory as she stayed in her room instead of joining the celebration in the banquet hall. The time she spent trapped in that world seemed so real to her, it's like a glimpse into a future if she's to leave everything behind and be with that strange soldier. It was such a peaceful life, living a life of a commoner and worry about nothing but what's for lunch or dinner. It's all about survival in the wilderness, and Mikoto had proven to be more than capable and Mai found it to be fascinating.

"Why is my beloved daughter sighing so often since her return from the battlefield?" Queen Tokiha Yume said upon entering Mai's private quarter. "Mother," Mai turned around and bowed at the woman politely. "My daughter, why the frown on that lovely face?" Queen Yume asked after she gives Mai a hug. "Mother, is it wrong for me to fall in love with someone of my own gender?" Mai asked after a long moment of silence between them. "Well, I would say that was a bit shocking but there's nothing wrong about it," Queen Yume said after another long moment of silence. "Remember my daughter, the heart doesn't chose that it will fall in love with because it just does and that is the wonderful thing about it. Now tell me, what she looks like," the Queen urged her daughter with a gentle smile and curious amethyst eyes. "She's a ruffian, that dream of having a small piece of land to call her own working as a farmer. She is strong yet gentle, and she's young but wise beyond her years, mother. She is honest and she stole my heart without even trying to," Mai sighed nostalgically just thinking about Mikoto had made her heart fluttered.

Mai then proceed on telling her mother everything that had happened to her during the time she was trapped in the sandstorm, after all only her mother could understand her as she too is a magic user. The Queen silently listening to her daughter recounting the details of the time she spent together with her enemy, and the whole time she was fascinated at how someone so young could be so powerful. Then she remembered a rumor she heard during her recent travel that the King of Aris Kingdom (which had just fallen to Garz) had an affair with a night demon that later gave birth to a baby girl. The illegitimate child was then ordered to be killed, but a royal maid couldn't and cast her away on a small basket instead. It flowed down the stream where an old man found it; he raised the child as his own and taught her the value of life as he was a retired mercenary or so the story goes.

"Mother, what should I do?" Mai asked once she finished her story. "Just follow your heart my daughter," Queen Yume said smiling at her daughter. She knew that her words alone were great encouragement to her daughter, but in return it could also mean that there's a chance that she will never see her baby again. Moreover, she wanted her daughter to find her true happiness, never had she seen Mai so happy just talking about someone before until now. The girl had never took notice of all the handsome young men that came for her hand in marriage, but now fallen for a girl who saved her life and give her a goodbye kiss. But she knew that her husband will never agree to let his daughter be with a ruffian, and a girl at that. So together they devised a plan, and that very night Mai disguised herself as a peasant and snuck out of the well-guarded walls from the palace.

XxX

"Ah, another beautiful day…" Mikoto said stepping out from her small home and took in a lung full of fresh air. She had finally found herself a piece of land away from the town, and near the forest that was rumored to be dangerous (reason why no one wants to farm near there and it was sold for cheap). Now at eighteen, Mikoto single-handedly built her home and grow her own crops to trade in with the town folks for clothes and rice.

Spending most of the morning watering the crops, then Mikoto moved on to work on to soften up the soil on the free space to grow some strawberries. "I seriously don't know why you love it so much," Mikoto chuckled looking up at the clear sky above. Her grandfather: Minagi Jijirou had a love for strawberries, and he would grow from every year. And so, Mikoto was adapted to such tradition that now even though he is no longer with her, she still continued to plant them and harvest them though hardly did she ever ate them.

"Mikoto… Mikoto…" a familiar voice called out and Mikoto couldn't help but looked up from her work. It was Mai in a red shirt that hugged her body and long fit black pants running up to the edge of the watery trench that separate her farm from the rest of the land (Mikoto dug the trench when she bought the land to keep bandits and whatnot out). "Mai!" tossing the hoe aside, Mikoto run out and jumped into the waist-deep watered trench to reach the woman she loved and haven't seen for two years.

"Mikoto!" Mai said as Mikoto stood waist deep in the water before her and she quickly wrapped her arms around the teen's head. Mikoto on the other hand hugged her back and savor the feeling of another human being beside her own. "Do you not love me?" Mai asked once they're separated. "More than you'll ever know…" Mikoto replied hugging Mai again resting her head on the princess's flat stomach. "Then why did you not come with me?" Mai murmured her question. "I abandoned my country and my King, thus I cannot afford to be taken in by enemy's force." Mikoto answered calmly; after all it was two years ago. "Well, I don't think it matters anymore," Mai said with a bright smile on her face. "Then I'm glad," Mikoto said sighing contently with a gentle smile of her own.

"I love you!" Mai said throwing her arms around Mikoto attacking her with a bear hug. "Oh… whoa…" Mikoto stumbled backward but wrapped her arms around Mai's waist, but it was rather pointless as Mai ended up in the water and soaking wet with Mikoto. "I love you, I love you so much that I don't know when it had started…" Mai said holding Mikoto's face with her hands so that their eyes locked at each other. "Maybe we've always loved each other, our hearts were connected before our mind caught up to it?" Mikoto chuckled lightly. "Probably…" Mai whispered leaning in closer to Mikoto and slowly closed her eyes.

A tender kiss was exchanged, and another one and another one after that, Mikoto took the lead as Mai was inexperience even when kissing. When they pulled apart, Mikoto just chuckled looking deep into those amethyst eyes before her. "Does the princess regret coming here now?" Mikoto asked tighten her grip on Mai's waist just a little bit. "Never!" Mai said adamantly. To prove her point, she leaned in and captured Mikoto's lips and kissed until her lungs burn screaming for air did she stop.

xXx

"I love you," Mikoto said as soon as she came inside for lunch. "I love you too, now let's eat before it turn cold." Mai said as she placed the freshly grilled fish on the table with the rest of the foods. "They look delicious," Mikoto said looking at the variety of foods on the table. "I still think your cooking is better than mine," Mai said with a little pout. "My foods taste bland compare to yours," Mikoto said with a serious face and started eating her lunch. Mai could only shook her head in disbelieve but said nothing more.

They had been living together in the small house for a decade now, though Mai looked the same as when she's twenty-eight while Mikoto looked more mature and grown up. They would water the crops together early in the morning, then spent the rest of the morning either hunting in the forest or fishing, made lunch, take a nap, water the crops again, and called it a day. Some day, they just spent the whole day doing nothing but lounging around, being in each other's embrace.

After ten years, their love is still strong and passionate, their feelings for each other was still there and only grow stronger with each passing day. For ten years, Mai learned a few things about her partner, a small token of being a soul mate to a ruffian. The girl have an incredible appetite, and with strength that's beyond human to match her appetite, while accompanying it her amazing sex drive to keep up with Mai's insatiable hunger for Mikoto. But the most shocking and perhaps wondrous thing of all that she discovered about her lover was that when she's feeling possessive of Mai, Mikoto showed the power of her demi-ness by baring her canine fangs and growled cutely.

"Mi-ko-to…" Mai drawl out the latter's name in a seducing manner just an hour after lunch. "Grrowww…" Mikoto made a catlike noise grinning at Mai as she locked the front door and followed Mai into the bedroom. Mikoto growled, removing her shirt. "My, you must be very excited today…" Mai teased as Mikoto walked up to her. "Mai always get me excited," Mikoto replied pulling Mai in for a searing kiss. "I love you," Mikoto murmured after the kiss and Mai just giggled lightly. "No matter how many times I hear it, I still can't get enough of it." Mai said kissing Mikoto lightly as her hands rubbed Mikoto's chest. "As I can't get enough of your love," Mikoto murmured slowly removing Mai's clothes. It was a wonderful union despite the age gap, neither seemed to care about it as they complete each other on all levels.

End~

A/N: Finally, my dream is complete! This story is actually from a dream I had, so I thought of making it into a Mikoto/Mai piece. Too bad that I never got to finish dreaming of the dream as it was time to get up for work (sighs) The story actually differ from my dream a bit, as some details are hard to describe thus I could only do my best to make it make sense. This one is purely Mikoto/Mai, sorry to the Shiz/Nat, Nao/Shiho, and so on and so forth. Hope you guys enjoy it~


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